Mastering the plant life in a pond, or any other body of water is extremely critical. Why is this you ask? Well, because for some reason or another, you have decided that you do not desire it there. Whether those plants have create a type of nuisance for swimmers, or have just clogged up the motor on a favorite motorboat, you want them to be gone, and there’s many ways of doing this.
Naturally you can utilize chemical substances, plastic lining, freezing, manual pulling them up, or even dye, but those are mighty inconvenient, and there’s no promise that your pond, or even the fish, would ever be the same again following these actions. Therefore it’s time to have a look at alternative methods—methods which won’t damage you OR your pond.
Around 1963, a new fish was introduced in to the United States ecological, and that fish was known as the Grass Carp. This fish was purposefully integrated into the ecosystem for the simple reason of eliminating aquatic plant life, and thus far it’s lived up to it’s reputation. Here in the US, the Grass Carp is commonly called a White Amur, presumably because the word Carp has derogatory interpretations here in the United States., and the name “Amur” refers to the river that this fish originates from, the river which borders China and Russia.
The Grass Carp, is what is referred to as an invasive species, meaning that it will reproduce and overtake any ecosystem which it is introduced in (sort of like humans), however science has come far, and while it took some time, and lots of gene manipulation, sterilizing the Grass Carp finally became standard all over the world so that it’s integration doesn’t harm or destroy the ecosystem.
Another thing to note, is that the Grass Carp doesn’t eat everything, of course it loves plant life, and would eat the vast majority of it, but as with human being, there are items that it prefers over others. A couple of the things which the Grass Carp does enjoy, are:
Coontail
Spikerush
Smartweed
Bladderwort
Bulrush
Water hyssop
Eelgrass
There’s many additional grasses, and a quick trip to a library, an Internet query, or talking with a professional will quickly let you know the things a grass carp will eat.
When purchased in large amounts, Grass Carp is fairly cheap, ranging from about $10-20 per fish, and that is very reasonable considering how long it’ll last; surviving for about ten to eleven years.
In some states, you will need to acquire a license prior to putting Grass Carp into any body of water, even if it is owned by you. To find out if that’s required, talk to the game warden near you, or just check the regulations of your state, since that information is freely accessible to any person who requires it.
As you can see, Grass Carp are a great alternate means to using chemicals, or even lining the pond with a plastic cover, because not only are these perfect for ridding you of unwanted plant life, you must additionally remember that it’s an interdependent relationship, you provide the thing they want, and in return they give their services to you, preventing you from needing to do it on your own. All in all, that’s a great trade.
